Europe 1 with AFP 5:10 p.m., April 01, 2022

This is a constant of presidential campaigns, but even more so in this 2022 vintage without much relief: almost forgotten in the debates, culture is little mentioned by the candidates, after a second part of the five-year term mainly marked by aid in the face of Covid- 19.

In total, nearly 14 billion euros have been mobilized for the world of culture since the start of the health crisis.

"There may be a lack of ideas. Emmanuel Macron remains very focused on expanding the culture pass for young people, but we are continuing in the same perspective," said economist Françoise Benhamou, specialist in culture and media, interviewed by AFP.

Almost forgotten in the debates, culture is little mentioned by the candidates.

"There are proposals from the candidates, but not really a guiding thread or projects that make it possible to envisage a re-enchanted cultural policy", she adds.

In his press conference on March 17, the president-candidate also mentioned "aid for creation and artists", promising "a second stage" of public order, to continue the call for projects of 30 million euros. euros launched during the Covid.

Abolition of the audiovisual license fee

As for the major presidential project of the Cité internationale de la langue française, at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts (Aisne), it should finally open in the fall, after a delay attributed to the Covid.

Like his far-right and right-wing rivals, Emmanuel Macron also proposes the abolition of the audiovisual license fee, which raises serious concerns at France Télévisions and Radio France, in particular.

For their part, Marine Le Pen like Eric Zemmour grant the smallest portion to culture in their program, mainly approached from the angle of safeguarding heritage.

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The former CNews polemicist also wants the television adaptation of literary works and historical accounts.

A "Puy-du-Fou culture", the Vendée amusement park of his friend Philippe de Villiers?

"Le Puy-du-Fou is the mix between modernity and French genius. We are often more modern by being rooted in a past that we know well", praises the candidate Reconquête!.

On the right, Valérie Pécresse wants to reduce VAT to 5.5% on all cultural goods, insists on artistic education and heritage and proposes "the first traveling national museum of contemporary art and design".

But, at the same time, candidate LR does not intend to increase the budget of the ministry, up to four billion euros (excluding public broadcasting) in 2022.

Increase the culture budget?

The left promises increases.

Like the communist Fabien Roussel, the rebellious Jean-Luc Mélenchon wants to increase the budget for culture to 1% of GDP per year.

The LFI candidate wants to extend free admission to all museums or improve the system for intermittent workers.

For the ecologist Yannick Jadot, it is an additional billion euros per year and 25% of the overall budget dedicated to creation.

Socialist Anne Hidalgo proposes to strengthen artistic education, by welcoming 10,000 artists in schools from the year 2023. She also asks that all public stages be able to receive "systematically and throughout the year" artists in residence.

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Still, the various sectors are concerned about the lack of space given to their concerns in this campaign, particularly in the book sector, the country's leading cultural industry.

The moment is however crucial for publishing, which is preparing for a big bang, with the takeover bid promised by Vivendi (Editis), a subsidiary of the Bolloré group, for Lagardère (Hachette Livre).

On the live performance side, the Prodiss, national union for musical and variety shows, challenges the candidates on the challenges of the moment such as the articulation between the "live" show and the growing influence of digital platforms, boosted by the Covid crisis.

14 billion euros mobilized since the start of the health crisis

At the heart of the epidemic, "culture has been very helped", considers despite everything the economist Françoise Benhamou who judges the ministry "less weakened than at other times".

In total, nearly 14 billion euros have been mobilized for the world of culture since the start of the health crisis, according to figures from rue de Valois.

Some practices, however, die hard, such as the desire of the Elysée to influence the appointments at the head of major cultural institutions.

"We had an interventionist head of state. There is undoubtedly something to rebalance, because it weakened the minister" Roselyne Bachelot, judge Françoise Benhamou.